Stable and reproducible selective soldering process increases the soldering quality at points that cannot be contacted or wetted using a wave soldering process

By investing in a CUBE.460 selective soldering system manufactured by Inertec, productware GmbH is confirming its commitment to maximum soldering quality with stable soldered joints that are reproducible every time. By acquiring the selective soldering machine, productware is setting the foundations for automating the hand soldering section. The soldering machine not only offers greater scope for PCB design, but also enhances the product quality through mechanically produced solder connections.

According to Thomas Faust, Team Leader THT at productware, the particular strength of the CUBE.460 selective soldering system lies in its high flexibility thanks to two separate soldering modules. These can be fitted with different sized nozzles or with a small solder wave and a nozzle. Provided that soldering applications are suitable, this double-module design with program-controlled stroke dramatically increases throughput.

The machine is equipped with a central bottom heating system and a high-performance top heating module, which ‘travels’ with the article being soldered during the entire soldering process, ensuring that the soldered object does not cool down. This is particularly relevant to the soldering quality when soldering times are long or if a very large mass is being soldered.

With a solder pot volume of 50 kg, which is very high for selective soldering machines, and solder nozzles that are specially designed for good thermal conductivity, good heat flow to the soldered joint is guaranteed. Good top side fillet formation can therefore be achieved every time, even with components and shielding plates that are large and heavy with high heat radiation characteristics.

“Other plus points include relatively simple programming, a user-friendly software interface, and good accessibility for maintenance and servicing,” Faust adds. “Consequently, the machine is ideally suited to all requirements presented by productware’s highly diverse customer base and low/middle volume/high-mix infrastructure.”